Means for applying printing to plastic



Jan. 7, 1958 I H. M. HAYWARD 2,813,799

MEANS FOR APPLYING PRINTING T0 PLAsTIc Filed Aug. 18, 19.54 5 Sheets-Sheet l H. M. HAYWARD 2,818,799

MEANS FOR APPLYING PRINTING T0 PLASTICV 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 18. 1954 if)! L"/:" H i l l I 1 32 I I 34 ll 40 3 @Wl/l a 7/ a Q I Jan. 7, 1958 H. M. HAYWARD 2,818,799

MEANS FOR APPLYING PRINTING TO PLASTIC Filed Aug. 18. 1954. 3 Sheets-Sheet s MEANS FOR APPLYING PRINTING TO PLASTIC Henry Milton Hayward, Eastwood, near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Application August 18, 1954, Serial No. 450,705

Claims priority, application Australia August 21, 1953 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-37) Attempts made hitherto to apply printing to plastic and particularly those flexible containers now in use have failed to produce a clear and permanent print. In these attempts offset printing processes using rubber or like faced stereotype has been employed. Such stereotype necessarily confines the type of ink employed to one which will not attack the rubber or like face and the inks so far available have not proved elfective when applied to plastics.

Embossing has been resorted to in an endeavour to overcome this problem of printing on plastic but this has not proved satisfactory owing to the likelihood of fractures forming in the embossed part of the container.

I have found that printing can be effectively applied to flexible plastic containers, by using a metal stereotype which will take inks having an aflini-ty to plastic and printing by a rolling contact.

In addition I have devised means of printing by rolling contact as aforesaid those plastic containers made of tube which when filled is divided into separate but conjoined containers by fusing a seam in the wall of the tube. The printing is applied after the tube has been filled and seamed.

The machine for printing flexible plastic containers on one side consists of a rotatable cylindrical carrier having uniformly spaced recesses over its periphery each adapted to accommodate a plastic container in such manner that the part to be printed projects outwardly from the peri-phery of the cylindrical carrier. An etched metal printing cylinder is mounted for rotation in printing relationship with containers in the cylindrical carrier. Means are incorporated to apply printing ink to the surface of the printing cylinder and to remove ink from all but the etched part of the cylinder. Other means rotate in synchronised order the cylindrical carrier and the printing cylinder. When it is desired to print the plastic containers on two sides the machine is constructed with two cylindrical carriers and two etched metal printing cylinders with inking means therefor and means to rotate the several parts in synchronised order.

For printing those plastic containers made of tube which when filled is divided into separate but conjoined containers by fusing a wall in the tube the invention provides means whereby each container is brought into accurate register with the printing cylinder or cylinders irrespective of any small irregularity in the division of the tube into separate containers. The means consist of two or more rotatable locators arranged to press the tube at the seams onto transverse members at the ends of each recess in the cylindrical carriers. The locators are geared for synchronised rotation with the cylindrical carriers.

One embodiment of the invention adapted to the printing of one or both sides of filled plastic tube divided in separate containers by transverse seams fused in the wall of the tube is de-scribed with reference to the annexed drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine; Fig. 2 is an end elevation with a cover plate of the gear case removed; Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations on 2,818,799 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating the passage of a chain of containers over a printing roller; Fig. 6 is an end view and Fig. 7 a side view of a container in contact with a printing roller; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of container carrier incorporating a container deflector; Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 10 and Fig. 10 is a section on line 10- 10 of Fig. 9.

The several components of the machine are mounted on the vertical side wall 10 of a gear case wherein the actuating gears for the components are housed.

Two container carriers each made as wheels 11-12 with side flanges Ila-12a are mounted on shafts 13-14 for rotation in a vertical plane. Pins 11b-12b project between the side flanges Ila-12a, the pitch of the pins corresponding to the length of a container 15 between the tube seams 16. The rims Ila-12c of the wheels 11-12 form a backing for the containers between the pins 11b-12b.

Two container locators are provided for each carrier wheel 11-12 to bring each container into accurate register with printing cylinders and to hold the containers in such position during a printing operation. The container locators are rectangular blades 17-1711 and 18-18:: with round edges positioned diametrically between end discs 19 and adjustably mounted on shafts 20. The blades 17a-18a register with the tube seams 16 and the pins 11b-12b.

Etched metal printing cylinders 21-22 are mounted on shafts 23-24 respectively. The printing on the cylinders is located to register with a container 15 when it is held on each of the wheels 11-12 by the respective container locator blades l7-17a and lit-18a. The cylinder 21 applies printing to one side of the container and the cylinder 22 applies printing to the other side.

Under each printing cylinder 21-22 there is an ink tray 25-26 with an inking roller 27-28 rotatably mounted therein. Each ink tray is part rotatably mounted on an axle 29-30 fixed to the wall 10 and is held with its inking roller in contact with its printing cylinder by adjusting screws 31.

Above each ink tray there is a doctor blade 32-33 mounted in a blade carrier 34-35 and held in register with the respective printing cylinders by adjusting screws 36. The blade carriers 34-35 are mounted on reciprocation shafts 37-38 which provide for continuous movement of the blades across the printing cylinders.

A feed-in table 39 having side guide flanges 40 is mounted on the wall 10 with its delivery end 41 curved upwardly in juxtaposition to the top container carrier wheel 11. Above this wheel 11 and in a position to guide containers over the top of said wheel is an arcuate guide frame 42 provided with guide rollers 42a adapted to bear on the top of a container. The guide frame has side flanges 43 in which pivot pins 44-45 are" mounted and it is pivotally connected to the wall 10 by link 46. Screws 47 having eyes by which they are mounted on the pivot pins 44-45 pass through pivot blocks 48 rotatably mounted on the wall 10 and are secured by hand nuts 49. Springs 50 on the screws hold the guide frame resiliently in position.

In operation with the machine running a chain of filled containers to be printed on one side are fed to the machine along the table 39 between the guide frame 42 and the wheel 11, then between the locator 17, the printing cylinder ,21 and the locator 17a. If the containers are to be printed on both sides they are fed from the locator 17a between the wheels 11-12, then between the locator 18, the printing cylinder 22 and the locator 18a. Each filled container becomes in elfect a resilient pad which is held by the locators as it travels in a circular path. The pad is compressed by the carrier wheel and the printing cylinder to provide a surface on which the printing cylinder rolls in complete printing register.

A drive shaft 51 has a pulley 52 or other means whereby it is driven from a motor (not shown). This shaft projects into the, gear case where, it has a pinion 53 engaging a reduction gear 54 on countershaft 55. A pinion 56 on the counter shaft 55 engages a gear wheel 57 on the shaft 14 of the container carrier 12. A gear wheel 58 of the same size as the gear wheel 57 and in mesh therewith is on shaft 13 of the container carrier 11.

Gear Wheels 59 on each of the shafts 20 of the container locators 1717a and 18-1841 engage the gear wheels 57 and 58 respectively. In addition gear wheel 60 on shaft 23 of the printing cylinder 21 engages. the gear wheel 58 while gear wheel 61 on shaft 24 of the printing cylinder 22 engages the gear wheel 57.

A pinion 6; on the shaft 13 of the container carrier 11 engages a gear wheel 63, on shaft 64. There is an eccentric 65 on this shaft and a crank shaped strap 66 on the eccentric has a pin 67 in a bearing in a rocker shaft 68 which is pivotally mounted as at 69. On each end of this rocker shaft there is an arm 7 71'. Each arm has a forked end 727 3 sI jdable on shafts 7'38 p c y w e by the m men of e arm is limited to a vertical plane. In addition each arm has a journal 74 on which one limb 75 of a bell crank is mounted (only one hell crank is shown). The bell cranks are mounted on journal pins 76 and the other limbs 77 have a ball end engaging collars 78 on. the shafts 3738 respectively. The bell cranks are actuated by the rocker shaft to reciprocate the shafts 3738 and the doctor blades 3233 across the, printing cylinders 2122. The inking rollers 2,7-2 8 are on shafts 7980 which have gear Wheels 818 2 engaging the gear wheels 60 and 61 respectively on the printing cylinder shafts. The positive rotation of the inking rollers ensures an even deposit of ink on the, printing cylinders.

The container carrier shown in Figs. 8 to is for use, in cold climates when the containers become somewhat stifi and are likely tofollow around the top, container carrier 11. It is substituted for such carrier 11. This carrier (Figs. 8 to 10) is a wheel 83 having arcuate recesses 84 formed in its periphery. The ends of these recesses project radially outwardly and are of the same pitch as the pins 11b. The wheel hub 86 projects beyond the sidesof the wheel and forms journals for ring bearings 87 supporting deflector arms 88. The carr er. Wheel has side flanges 89 incorporating stub pins 90 which are on the same pitch as the recess. ends 85. The flanges bear on the ends. of the hub 86, and thus leave side cavities for the deflector arms. An aIiChQr and deflector plate 91 fixed, to the arms 88 has a; screwed t m. .2. by hich it s fixed to, a po t. 93 on he. si e wall 10. The containers are forced by the deflector 8 0f e e e e 84. and nder he l cator .8. a d, h n nto he rie heel. 1.

e nye t on escrib d. ov will print in a single colour one or both sides. of conjoined containers, of the type, described. It can be adapted for multi-colour printing by duplicating the several parts for each colour required.

I claim:

1. A machine for printing on the curvilinear surface of individual tubular container units serially connected by a seam, comprising, in combination, a frame, upper and lower wheels each including a hub and mounted in said frame, flanges at the opposite ends of each wheel, the inner adjacent peripheral portions of the flanges of said wheels being in close proximity, circumferentially spaced parallel pins mounted in the opposite flanges of each wheel and cooperating with the peripheral surface of the wheel hub to provide recesses for receiving the 1 said curvilinear surfaces of the container units, a feed table leading to the upper wheel, means downstream of the feed table and above the upper wheel to guide the connected units into the recess thereof with the seams resting on the pins, a printing cylinder at the side of the upper wheel opposite the feed table, a second printing cylinder at the side of the lower wheel opposite the first mentioned cylinder, a pair of rotatable unit locator blades for cooperation with related pins on each of the wheels to engage the said seams, said blades of each pair disposed at either side of the related printing cylinder to hold the units steady while their curvilinear sides are being printed, and means for synchronously operating the wheels, printing cylinders, and locator blades.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the wheels are mounted on shafts journalled in the frame, and power driven gear trains turn the upper wheel counter-clockwise and the lower wheel clockwise.

3. A machine for printing on the curvilinear sides of filled flexible plastic container units formed in a single continuous tube divided into individual container units by a fused seam in the wall of the, tube, comprising, in combination, a frame, a cylindrical carrier including a hub, rotatably mounted in the frame, flanges at the opposite ends of the hub, means on the hub between the flanges forming arcuate recesses, the pitch ends of said recesses projecting radially outwardly and spaced corresponding to the length of the container between two adjacent seams, deflector arms having ring portions mounted on and co-axially with the hub and between the means forming said arcuate recesses and said flanges, stub pins on the flanges and projecting inwardly to aline with the pitch ends of said recesses, an anchor and deflector plate fixed to the ends of said arms projecting beyond the flanges, means for adjustably supporting the anchor and deflectingplate, a printing cylinder, and rotatable locators mounted at opposite sides of the axis of the printing cylinder to press the seams against the pitch ends of the recesses and the stub pins.

References. (Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,339,050 Wischhusen- May 4, 1920 1,365,879. Wysong. Jan. 18, 1921 1,465,638 Goss Aug. 21,, 1923 2,201,924. Schmitt May 21, 1940 2,645,286. Boy-d. July 14, 1953 

